Florida Gators 2025 recruiting class looks even stronger after latest news

Gators CB commit Ben Hanks III earns five-star ranking

Hanks is now the third Florida Gators recruit who has achieved five-star status at some point during his recruitment with Wilson and fellow wide receiver Vernell Brown III also achieving the honor.

Hanks projects to be a good outside cornerback who thrives with anticipation. On3's scouting report lays out exactly what he projects to be.

The first thing about Hanks’ game that grasps my attention is his anticipation. He does a good job of mirroring his opponent downfield and then breaking on the ball. That allows him to turn into an offensive player once the ball comes his way. Once dissecting the play, Hanks does a nice job of pushing off his back foot to come downhill. More often that not, he doesn’t fall for double moves either. He makes receivers work for four quarters.

With Hanks, this is a prospect who always has his head on a swivel. He is locked in at cornerback and does a nice job of being in position to pounce. He follows the quarterback’s eyes very well. Hanks is well aware of his surroundings in the secondary and it paid off with multiple interceptions during the 2023 season. He is always on his toes ready to make a play.

Hanks is a cornerback you can isolate in one-on-one coverage and feel good about doing so. He has no problem taking on the opponent’s best wide receiver and is comfortable being thrown out on an island. I also like his physicality in press. He does a nice job of stunning the receiver at the line, often knocking them off path. Hanks possesses the swag defensive coordinators look for at cornerback.

I would like to see Hanks sink his hips more while in his backpedal. There are times where he plays too high, affecting his speed and fluidity when backpedalling. Being more consistent in that department will allow to make even more plays on the ball. Improving straight-line speed is something Hanks can improve too. We are not saying he is slow by any means, but he can become more explosive and work on his acceleration once getting in the open field.

The Gators are figuring things out in the recruiting game and things are looking better and better for the future.